LIVE: THIS WILL DESTROY YOU – 02/09/2014

So I’ve just spent the weekend traipsing around a field in Bristol for ArcTanGent festival, geeking out over riffs, reverb pedals and weird time signatures; that’s right, ArcTanGent is the UK’s only math/post rock festival. I’ve been pretty much on a post rock binge since returning back to reality, and find myself relieved to be watching Texas post-rock mavericks This Will Destroy You tonight at The Deaf Institute.

Although the band did co-headline the festival on the Friday night, their set unfortunately clashed with another, but lucky for me the band are over for a full on Euro headline tour to support their forthcoming album, so I am rather excited ahead of tonight’s set. I’ve also been submersing myself in the glorious, uplifting tones of the bands upcoming fourth long player A New Language over the past few days so I’m also pretty chuffed about getting to see some of that live too.

I do arrive a little late to show but manage to catch the tail end of main support Thought Forms. For a band without a bassist they sure do make a sludgy, low-end racket and with ethereal female vocals on top, they’re reminiscent of current day Esben And The Witch (I later discover they released a split LP with them last year). In my short meeting with Thought Forms, I am intrigued and will be sure to check out their full set at this years Carefully Planned Festival in Manchester next month.

It’s nice to see The Deaf Institute full, although it gets awfully sweaty in there, I manage to perch in the seated area of the venue and strip off my extra layers, ready to embrace This Will Destroy You. Tonight’s set evokes the same emotions and atmosphere as they do on record as the band rip through selective cuts from their sizeable back catalogue, replicating each track beautifully, albeit a bit noisier and all so grander for it. The new album tracks really stand out for me, ‘Dustism’ opens the set with such grace, ‘Invitation’ hypnotises with its pulsating beat and rhodes tinkling and ‘New Topia’ closes the main set with it’s wall of sound outro lead by earth shattering drums.

With this more upbeat and rhythmical sounding new record, the band ditch the doom meets shoe-gaze drones of previous record Tunnel Blanket in favour of a few of their early and more lavish moments, pianos chime and guitars brightly jangle on first album tracks like ‘Threads’. Tracks from early EP Young Mountain also make a few appearances with ‘I Believe In Your Victory’ getting heads nodding with its fire cracker of snare and ‘Quiet’ comes out for the encore to close things in a sky scrapingly beautiful fashion.

Post rock isn’t for everyone, it requires attention and patience, something I have little of, but as This Will Destroy You play their instruments with the up most conviction and as hard as they can, and manage to captivate everyone in the room tonight with ease.

I joined the Silent Radio family near the very start of my move to Manchester in 2012 and I'm still having the best time! During my stay here I've been in two noisy bands, had a not so noisy solo project, made a zine, started a blog and started a radio show. It's been productive to say the least and it's all been intersperse with a shit load of gig going and beer drinking. I would love it if you followed me on twitter @dr_brainless for excitable tweets about playing, watching and living new music.